178 REPORT OF THE 



All the Other burns on this township are old, dating- back from 20 to 

 50 years. These old burns have largely grown up to White Birch, Cherry, 

 and Aspen, followed by Spruce and hardwoods, which now form a vigorous 

 young stand on these areas. (PI. IV, fig. 2.) All told, the burns on the 

 township form only i^ of the forested area. 



Reserved Areas. 



Watershed Reserve. 



One of the chief values of the Adirondack Preserve is in the preserva- 

 tion of the upper watersheds of important rivers. Nowhere is this more 

 important than on steep upper slopes where the soil and ground cover are 

 in danger of being washed away unless protected by forest growth. 



To protect these upper slopes, it is recommended that the part of 

 Township 40 which has been classed as Upper Spruce Slope should not be 

 lumbered. On account of the heavy winds to which these mountain slopes 

 are exposed the forest might as well be cut clean if cut at all, in lumbering 

 such areas. If only a portion of the trees were removed, those left stand- 

 ing would be in great danger from wind on account of the increased 

 exposure. If a clean cutting were made, a long time must elapse before 

 another crop could be obtained, and reproduction is likely to be rendered 

 difficult. 



The timber on these upper slopes is of minor value, because the cost of 

 lumbering it would so nearly equal the returns that the margin of profit 

 would be exceedingly low. Another side of the question, and one which 

 is of importance at Raquette Lake, is that a clean cutting on the steep 

 slopes would seriously mar the beauty of the mountains as seen from the 

 lake. 



For these reasons it is strongly recommended that nothing be done 

 in the forests on the upper slopes. These areas appear on Map II as 

 " Summit Watershed Resen.'e." 



Water Front Reserve. 



In order to preserve the beauty of Raquette Lake another reserve is 

 recommended, on which no cutting should be allowed. This consists of a 

 belt along the shores of the lake and of Marion River. It has a minimum 

 width of 200 feet, and is frequently much wider, as a glance at Map II 



